Hopping game apparatus with elevated elastic area subdividing strands



H. M. BOWEN Oct. 3, 1967 3,345,068 HOPPING GAME APPARATUS WITH ELEVATED ELASTIC I AREA SUBDIVIDING STRANDS v Filed Oct 27 1964 Hami /fan M. Bowen IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,345,068 HOPPING GAME APPARATUS WITH ELEVATED ELASTIC AREA SUBDIVIDING STRANDS Hamilton M. Bowen, Spring Valley, Calif., assignor of forty percent to Josephine Anderson, La Mesa, and to Alfred Einstein, Vera Lustig, and Howard Harris, all of National City, Calif., jointly and undivided twenty percent of the entire right Filed Oct. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 406,816

11 Claims. (Cl. 273-1) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for defining a game playing surface including a collapsible area enclosing frame having a plurality of upstanding supports at equally spaced points thereabout and a plurality of elongate'd flexible strands engaged between opposed ones of the supports so as to subdivide the enclosed area into a plurality of generally equal size smaller areas.

This invention generally relates to new and useful improvemen-ts in game devices somewhat in the nature of a hopscotch court particularly although by no means necessarily, for children of various ages and has for one of its important objects to provide an apparatus of this character Which is especially useful in developing coordination in addition to providing healthful body-building exercise particularly for the ankle and leg muscles.

Another highly important object of the present invention is to provide a game device of the aforementioned character which may be expeditiously assembled for use on any suitable supporting surface and which, further, may be readily disassembled or knocked down for compact storage.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a portable, knock down game device of the character described which is relatively simple in construction, strong, durable, compact, safe and which may be manufactured at low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the base frame, showing the parts separated;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a corner portion of the frame with a portion of the elbow broken in section;

FIG. 4 is a detailed view in perspective of one of the elastic cord supporting hooks, showing a portion thereof broken away in section;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale through the device, taken substantially on the line 55 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a detailed view in perspective of a looped end portion of one of the elastic cords.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a base in the form of a generally square frame which is generally designated by reference numeral 8. The frame 8 is adapted to rest horizontally on the ground or any other suitable supporting surface, as indicated at 10. As will be apparent, the frame 8 may be of any desired dimensions. Further, the frame 8 may be of plastic or any other suitable material.

The frame 8 includes on each side thereof a bar 12 of substantially rectangular transverse section. The bars 12 are detachably connected through the medium of 3,345,068 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 cross-section. The elbows .14 loosely telescopically receive the end portions of the bars 12. In the embodiment shown,

, the elbows .14 comprise diagonal intermediate portions 16.

Mounted at suitably spaced points on the frame 8 are generally upstanding, inwardly, downwardly and then outwardly curved supporting books 18 of rubber or other suitable resilient material. It will be noted that the hooks 18 are mounted at spaced points on the bars 12 and on the diagonal intermediate portions 16 of the elbows 14. The hooks 18 comprise supporting bases 20 in the form of generally U-shaped clips 22 which are slipped horizontally on the frame '8 on the outer edges thereof.

Elastic cords or strands 24 are removably mounted on the hooks 18 in a manner to subdivide the area defined by the frame 8 into a pluralityof squares. The elastic cords 24 terminate in loops 26 which are engaged in the hooks 18 for mounting said elastic cords thereon. It is thought that the use of the device will be readily apparent from consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, the frame 8 is assembled on a suitable supporting surface 10 and the hooks v1 8 are clipped thereon. The elastic cords 24 are then mounted under tension on the hooks 18 by engaging the loops 26 in said hooks. The construction and arrangement is such that the tensioned elastic cords or strands 24 pull inwardly on the hooks 18 in a manner to further secure said hooks on the frame and to retain the frame assembly. Thus, no securing elements such as screws, pins, etc., are required. Various rules of procedure may be followed in using the device. For example, the players or participants may jump with bothfeet through the pattern squares, then with the left foot and then with the right foot. This procedure may be followed by jumping backward, etc. The elastic cords 24 and resilient supporting hooks 18 prevent injury should the participant fall. In addition to providing a highly entertaining competitive game, the device may be advantageously used as a grid in the training and leg conditioning of football players and other athletes. As shown to advantage in FIG. 3 of the drawing, the diagonal intermediate portions 16 of the elbows 14, in addition to facilitating the mounting of the diagonal corner books 18 on the frame 8, also function as stops for the bars 12. Thus, when a bar 12 is inserted in an elbow it does not interfere with the insertion of the other bar in this elbow and the frame, when assembled, is of uniform dimensions.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A hopping game device comprising a generally flat, substantially square horizontal frame for mounting on a supporting surface, a plurality of spaced, essentially vertical, downwardly opening hooks on the frame, said books including inwardly opening base clips mounted on the edges of the frame, and elastic strands connected under tension to the hooks and defining squares within the area of the frame.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said hooks are flexibly resilient.

'3. The combination of claim 1, said frame including a plurality of bars and elbows telescopically receiving the end portions of said bars for detachably connecting same.

4. The combination of claim 3, said elbows including diagonal intermediate portions receiving certain of the clips and providing stops for the bars.

5. The combination of claim 4, said strands being tensioned and including end loops engaged in the hooks for retaining the clips on the frame and for retaining the bars in the elbows.

6. The combination of claim 4 including strands paralleling the frame and connected under tension to clip mounted hooks on the intermediate portions of the elbows.

7. A hopping game device comprising an area-enclosing peripheral horizontal frame for mounting on a supporting surface, a plurality of spaced essentially vertical supports located at substantially equally spaced points eutirely about said frame and orientated into generally opposed pairs, means mounting said supports on said frame for projection vertically upward therefrom, and a plurality of elongated flexible strands each connected under tension between and directly to a selected one of the various opposed pairs of supports in vertically spaced relation above said frame and dividing said enclosed area into a plurality of smaller substantially equal subdivisions.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said essentially vertical supports are flexibly resilient.

9. A hopping game device comprising an area-enclosing peripheral horizontal frame for mounting on a supporting surface, a plurality of spaced essentially vertical supports located at equally spaced points about said frame and orientated into generally opposed pairs, means mounting said supports on said frame, and a plurality of elongated flexible strands connected under tension between the various opposed pairs of supports and dividing said portion of the frame and retained thereagainst by said tensioned strands.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said strands include end loops engaged in said hooks.

11. A hopping game device comprising a generally fiat, substantially rectangular horizontal frame for mounting on a supporting surface, a plurality of generally equally spaced essentially vertical supports about said frame, said supports including, in each instance, a portion thereon engaged with the frame for a positive mounting of the support thereon, and elongated flexible strands connected under tension to said supports and defining substantially rectangular areas within the area of the frame, said vert-ical supports including inwardly directed open hooks, said strands including end loops engaged in opposed pairs of said hooks, the frame engaging portion of each support including an inwardly opening generally U-shaped clip mounted over the frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,017,536 IO/ 1935 Hase 2731 2,354,050 7/ 1944 Paupa 273- 2,366,782 1/1945 Gorsuch 273-127 3,110,498 11/1963 Sheldon 2731 X 3,255J1l5 6/1966 Peterson.

FOREIGN PATENTS 17,166 7/ 1912 Great Britain.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Examiner.

S. NA'ITER, Assistant Examiner. 

7. A HOPPING GAME DEVICE COMPRISING AN AREA-ENCLOSING PERIPHERAL HORIZONTAL FRAME FOR MOUNTING ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF SPACED ESSENTIALLY VERTICAL SUPPORTS LOCATED AT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY SPACED POINTS ENTIRELY ABOUT SAID FRAME AND ORIENTATED INTO GENERALLY OPPOSED PAIRS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SUPPORTS ON SAID FRAME FOR PROJECTION VERTICALLY UPWARD THEREFROM, AND A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED FLEXIBLE STRANDS EACH CONNECTED UNDER TENSION BETWEEN AND DIRECTLY TO A SELECTED ONE OF THE VERIOUS OPPOSED PAIRS OF SUPPORTS IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION ABOVE SAID FRAME AND DIVIDING SAID ENCLOSED AREA INTO A PLURALITY OF SMALLER SUBSTEANTIALLY EQUAL SUBDIVISIONS. 